Rebel
by MyImmortal14
Summary: It's not easy, being in a family that you hate. Living with people who you're related to but might as well be complete strangers. Vanessa Raye belongs to a pureblood family that she just can't STAND. Follow this fifteen year old's journey through life.
1. Chapter One

"I'm not going to the party." Vanessa Raye Lavigne plopped down onto her queen sized bed and gave her mother a blank, and yet somehow still infuriating look. "I have no interest in associating with muggle-haters and Voldemort suck-ups today. I don't have the patience."

"There will be plenty of well established teenagers that you will do well to make friends with," Her mother replied, opting to ignore Vanessa's comment. Vanessa knew that she was getting on her mother's nerves already, though, because Fiona was already rigid and speaking in a clipped tone. She always did that when refraining herself from using her wand to shoot out a nasty curse or scream like a maniac. "You don't have a choice in the matter."

"And what if I just sit here on my bed and refuse to go?" Vanessa asked sweetly, throwing herself back onto the luxurious pillows with a contented sigh. "What are you going to do then, mother?"

"Your father will drag you there kicking and screaming, if you'd like."

Vanessa mock gasped and threw her hand over her heart. "But wouldn't I embarrass the family?" She asked, not shocked at all but acting like it. "Wouldn't that show how you don't have any control whatsoever over your silly little fifteen year old daughter?"

"I can control you however and whenever I choose to, Vanessa. Don't test me."

"Test, test, test," She muttered under her breath. "Testing, one two three….."

A bright blue light shot out from seemingly nowhere, and Vanessa ducked with ease, hitting the ground. She smacked her elbow on the hardwood floor but didn't let that on. They would say it was her fault in the first place, for sassing her parents when she should be giving them the utmost respect. Instead she tutted and chuckled at her brother. "Juvenile, Randy. Completely juvenile. Find something that'll surprise me, please. This same old stuff is boring."

Her brother stepped into the room with a scowl. "Want me to take care of her for you, mother?"

"Yes, please take care of me, then," Vanessa said in a baby-ish voice. "Because no one can handle me on their own." She flashed a nasty smile. "I'm too much for you guys."

"Yes, do shut her up by whatever means you deem necessary. I need to go and prepare myself for the party, I do not have time for such childish games. And you _are_ going, Vanessa. Maybe then you can see what a proper family acts like."

"Don't go overboard with the blush!" Vanessa called helpfully after her. "Last time you looked like you got a horrible sunburn-"

A hand shoved her and Vanessa was roughly knocked to the floor. She landed on her butt. Looking up, she saw her eighteen-year-old brother Randy glaring down at her, hatred radiating from his cold eyes. She _was_ a bit scared by this point, because when her brother was angry there was no telling what he might do. When he was fourteen and she was nine, he had once locked her in a closet for two days straight because she'd yelled at him for hitting her little sister, who at the time had still been sweet and innocent.

Now that she'd grown up, Gwen hated Vanessa every bit as much as the rest.

"You can never learn to shut your mouth, can you?" He hissed. "I should teach you how."

"Maybe you shouldn't," Vanessa replied, flicking back her long, curly red hair so it cascaded down her shoulders. "Maybe you shut you overly large mouth and leave."

Vanessa thought he was going to slap or curse her, and braced herself, but all Randy did was silently pick up a torn, old, ripped picture that she prized over anything. It was of her and her three best friends at her old school in America, **Salem's Witch Academy**. She had been staring at it wistfully before her mother had so rudely slammed open her door a few minutes prior, and hadn't had time to do anything to hide it except to sit on it on the bed…but now it was exposed, and Vanessa had a pretty good idea of what her brother was threatening.

"It would be a pity for the picture to be burned to a crisp," He said tracing the edges of it with his wand, so they instantly ignited and turned a dark shade of ash, the corners curling in. Vanessa didn't want to give in, but that picture was the only thing that reminded her of better, happy days, where she laughed and smiled with people who genuinely cared about her. TO have it destroyed would be unimaginable…she didn't have anything else to remember her long gone friends' by. She could see her own face smudging, and just as Randy was getting to Aishlee's face, Vanessa stopped him. "Fine, I'll go to the party," She snapped, making a grab for the picture.

Randy held it out of reach. "Do I have your promise?" He asked, staring at her unwaveringly. Unnerving her.

She rolled her eyes instead of flipping out like she really wanted to, yearning to have the photo safely back in her hands again. "Yes, you have my promise, you egotistical pig."

"I'll be back if you back out of it," He said in a threatening voice. "And I'll do something even worse than this." He tapped the photo mysteriously with his wand, and then gave her the picture back. "Have a nice day, baby sister."

And with a slam of the door, he was gone. Once his footsteps sounded on the stairs, Vanessa quickly turned the photo over, and saw that Randy had magically smudged al the edges of the photo to look like little black, dying skulls, which reminded her eerily of the dark mark. Vanessa shivered, and yet couldn't take her eyes off of it. She hated the dark mark. She hated Voldemort. She hated him more than she hated the existence of her miserable family, and that was saying a lot. She hated him so much she would kill him if she had the chance. And now there was his mark, sitting on her most prized possession? That was irony, for you.

She couldn't take it anymore and took out her school trunk. Digging through things and placing the photo at the very bottom for safekeeping, Vanessa could feel tears welling at the backs of her eyes. He was so cruel. She started to shut the lock, and then realized that it was the first place Randy would look if she ever did anything he didn't like again, which was a sure thing. Vanessa couldn't remember the last time she had done something right in her family's eyes. Without hesitation, Vanessa opened a random droor on her huge, elegant dresser and shoved it up. She then placed the photo underneath the droor, to that when she shut it, the droor landed on top of the picture and the small, almost nonexistent place that accommodated it.

Vanessa then went to her mirror and began making herself look appropriate for the party at the Malfoy manchion. She dressed up in her uncomfortable, scratchy dress robes, which was what was expected to be worn, and then attached her favorite earrings to her ears for defiance. She was sure she would be asked ---or more likely demanded--- to take them off at some point in time, but until then Vanessa would wear them proudly. They were the earrings that her muggleborn best friend had given to her for Christmas last year. Somehow she had had them charmed to read, I tiny, sparkly letters, "Purebloods are cool, but muggleborns rule the school."

Vanessa knew very well that she herself was a pureblood, but she detested that fact---besides, the earrings would cause a dispute at the party, or most likely on the way there. Drama. Ah, there was a lot of it in Vanessa's life, mostly caused by she herself. But she didn't want her family getting their hopes up that she was going to be a good little girl and listen to their every whim, now did she?

----------------------------

"So, Vanessa. Nice party, huh?"

"No, not especially," Vanessa replied sardonically, her expression blank as she caught the sight of Lucius Malfoy's contemptuous face in her peripheral vision. She stayed plastered against her quaint little spot on the wall, inwardly willing him to go away. "I find it quite nauseating, to be honest. I'd rather be walking the streets in this horrible weather than be here right now."

He gave her an odd look. Malfoy had obviously not yet realized –or heard about- how she was "a filthy blood traitor and a disgrace to her family." She wished he had so he would just leave her the hell alone. "You're practically the only girl I haven't danced with," Malfoy said, leaning against the wall next to her. Vanessa pointedly ignored him and glanced at the couples elegantly dancing an old fashioned waltz on the dance floor. If she hadn't personally known how repulsive and disgusting they all really were, if she were an outsider, she would've guessed this to be a quaint little party and not a gathering of the followers of Voldemort and soon-to-be Death Eaters, like Lucius Malfoy. "We should try the waltz. You haven't done anything but stand here by yourself the whole time. You haven't said a word to me, which is odd because most girls here would die to dance with someone like me. But you aren't interested."

Vanessa's drink turned sour in her mouth, but she managed to at least choke down the last sip down without gagging. The thought of any girl willingly letting him touch her was nauseating. "Yes, and let's keep it that way, Malfoy."

"Your feisty. I like that. You should dance with me."

Vanessa wondered who on earth said feisty anymore. "No, Malfoy, dancing with you is something I would never do, even if you were the last male left on this godforsaken planet," Vanessa said calmly, taking a light sip of her un-alcoholic drink. Normally she wouldn't mind having some wine, but if someone had spiked the drink with anything else she might get drunk, and she was an awful drunk…..certain people might take advantage of her. "So please do me a favor and get your disgustingly pointed face away from me before I puke," She admonished, once again, calmly.

"You don't know what your missing," He said unconvincingly, looking at her in a way that made Vanessa want to punch him right in his pointy nose, and then kick him in the shins. And then slap him until he was unconcious and repeat the whole thing over again until someone stupefied her unconcious. "You're not going to find anyone better than me."

"Not here, probably." Vanessa paused to look idly around the room. "But anywhere else in this world, I could. Even a hobo living in a cardboard box would probably smell -and look- better than you." She quirked an eyebrow and watched amusedly as his face grew angry. "Now that I've made my point clear, would you please leave? That stench is really getting to me."

He advanced on her, fists clenched, and even though Vanessa wanted very badly to back away and get the smell of his horrid, drunken breath out of her nose, she stood her ground. She would _not_ be intimidated by this sorry excuse of a boy. "If you say the wrong things to the wrong people, Lavigne, you might get into trouble with certain others, _if_ you know what I mean."

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. It wasn't like he had to be all mysterious with a whole group of people who were most likely all Death Eaters gathered around him. "Could you get any more innuendoes in there, Malfoy? And if you'll excuse me, I'm going over there." He opened his mouth to say something else, but she sighed angrily and finally snapped, the irritating calm façade finally melting away. He was just so goddamn _annoying_ and _stupid_ and _idiotic_ all at the same time that it was bugging her to no end. "And would you just _shut it_, you blabbering idiot! You're getting on my last nerve!"

He grabbed her arm painfully and tried to twist it behind her back –unfourtunately, no one had seen this, and even if they had they wouldn't have cared. They all hated her anyway- but Vanessa was too quick for him. Without a second's hesitation, she sharply tipped her drink so that it spilled all over his face and new robes. She yanked her arm away and shoved him back with both palms, hard. "Does that clarify things?" She asked sharply.

He glared at her, and then made a lunge to slap or punch her or whatever, and he probably would have landed it if a random boy hadn't suddenly stepped in front of her and warded him off.

"Picking fights with girls again, are you? How pathetic," The boy spat. Vanessa looked up at him, completely and utterly dumbfounded. Why would someone in this sort of group be sticking up for _her_, of all people? Unless they wanted something. Unless they were a conniving little asshole…..

"That wench spilt juice all over me, Black. And this isn't your buisness," Malfoy snapped back. "Now get out of the way."

"No, I don't think I will."

"Well I think you should, before I start a fight and you lose so badly you won't ever be able to show your filthy face around here again."

"Not like I'd actually _want_ to-"

"Thank you very much, whoever you are," Vanessa cut in curtly, annoyed and wanting nothing more than to go home, lock herself up in her room, and fall fast asleep. "Thank you for helping me and stopping Malfoy from doing whatever "horrible" thing he was going to do to me, but I can fight my own battles. And I'll solve this one by just leaving right now." She sneered at Malfoy, one to rival his own. The other boy she just ignored, still unsure of what to think about him. "Hope you can get the stains out of that. Best wishes with it."

She then turned around with dignity, threw her long hair back, and strode by herself to the other side of the house, looking for maybe a stairwell that would lead upstairs to an abandoned room, where she could lock herself up for the remainder of the party.

There was some arguing and as she walked, it faded off into the distance. Silence. Blessed silence….. And a voice calling after her. How wonderful. "Hey…hey, wait up!"

Vanessa stopped for a split second to clench her teeth and prepare herself for another battle, and then turned around, glaring. Hey, better to tell him off now than later. She might as well get it over with. "What do you want?" She snapped, at her wits end.

"I wanted to know if you are allright," The boy said. He didn't really look that bad. In fact, she wasn't getting the "I'm-a-pureblood-so-I'm-better-than-you-and-everyone-else-so-bow-down-to-me" vibe from him. But whatever, she had learned that ninety percent of the time, looks were deceiving. "Malfoy is a real arse, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd tried to kill you within plain sight of everyone else," He finished.

"Well, that's really great. He didn't, and so there's no need to come over here and talk to me. Don't you have better things to do? Like kissing up to Voldemort?"

The kid's gray eyes grew stormy and he snorted, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. It seemed as if the air had suddenly become thick and laced with tension, as before it had only been hatred radiating off Vanessa and some concern off him. "As if I would do anything that stupid. I'm not like that, though I can't say as much for the rest of my family." He glared a hole through the side of Vanessa's head. "A devious lot, they are."

"Mine too," Vanessa said slowly. She narrowed her eyes and studied him; there was just something about this boy that intrigued her. "And you would be….."

"Sirius," He said, extending his hand. "Sirius Black."

And it was then that it dawned on her. Vanessa's sullen face broke out into a wide grin that she just couldn't conceal. She laughed loudly at her own stupidity and slapped herself on the forehead, which seemed to confuse him to no end because all Sirius did was stare at her like she was a madwoman.

"Um…" He said awkwardly. "Why…why are you doing that?"

"So that's why you aren't like the rest of them!" She exclaimed, taking his hand in her own and shaking it vigorously. "I've heard about you, Sirius. I've heard loads of great things about you!"

"Great things," He said slowly, eyeing her as if she were even more out of her mind than before. He backed away a few steps but Vanessa didn't mind. She was finally meeting the infamous Sirius Black, the only person in the entire world who's family situation was even remotely close to hers. And she probably _did_ sound quite crazy at the moment, but Vanessa was beyond caring about that. "About me? From _your _family? Who are they?" He asked.

"The Lavigne's!"

He looked around like the earth was going to fall. "The only thing the pureblood's say about me, around here, is that I'm a filthy blood traitor and a disgrace to my family."

"Exactly!"

"W-what?"

"Don't you see? I'm just like you! I'm Vanessa Lavigne, you probably haven't heard much about me because we've only just moved here, but I'm not like the rest of my-"

His seemed to be calculating this while she talked, but then eyes lit up and Sirius smiled widely. "_You're_ Vanessa Lavigne?"

"In the flesh," She said happily, opening her arms to demonstrate. "And I'm so glad to finally meet you! Of all the things I've heard about you! It's bloody amazing! About how you ran away once when you were fourteen and they couldn't find you for two months, about how you don't care how much your parents punish you when you do the wrong thing, and how you play tricks on your brother Regulus even though he always whines to your mother-"

"It's really not that great," He said, staring at his feet. "I bet you do stuff like that all the time."

"Well, yes," She said, titling her head and stopping her wild ranting to answer him. "But you do too--- you're the only other one like this--- and I think it's Wicked!"

He chuckled. "This is the first good time I've _ever_ had at a party like this."

Vanessa fanned the air around her. "Well, sorry about that. I can get a little…crazy at times. I was having such a horrible time and now, you know, this was just so unexpected and all-"

"And she _dumped_ her wine all over your shirt just because you asked her to dance?" A high pitched voice floated in, angry and needlessly loud. "I'm so sorry, Lucius, I don't know what's gotten into Vanessa. I'll go find that girl this instant and punish her. I'll pay for your shirt, too, Lucius, even if the stains don't come out. I'm so terribly sorry. Just let me find her, where did you say she ran off to?"

"That Sirius Black led her off after he punched me in the face…"

Vanessa's happy mood evaporated and she hung her head. "What a little liar," Vanessa hissed scathingly. "So much for a brief moment of happiness," She muttered. "This is going to suck."

And before she could even contemplate what was happening, a hand was suddenly placed over her own and she was rudely yanked to the side. "Come with me," Sirius whispered under his breath. "If you want to risk getting into more trouble, I know a place where she'll never think to look. You don't have to, but if your like me, if you like a little danger, you won't care."

The corners of Vanessa's lips turned up into a mischievous smirk. She looked into his eyes, sparkling with defiance. "I like the way you think." A wonderful, famaliar rush of adrenaline rushed through her veins. She couldn't remember ever having a partner in crime when doing things to piss off her family. It was pretty wicked. "Show me the way, Mr. Black," She replied, squeezing his hand to let him know she didn't care how long she was grounded or screamed at for. "Just show me the way."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Hey people, I didn't really put anything in the beginning of the first chapter, because I'm weird like that…and lazy, I didn't feel like fixing it either. :) So I'll just write everything here! All the athor's notes and replies to reveiws and stuff. By the way, please leave a review if you can. On I never get many with my stories, and I was hoping that on this website more people like to review. Oh, and by the way…If Vanessa seems like a Mary Sue to you…AAAH! I'm trying so hard to not make her one, but if that's the way it comes across, please don't hesitate to tell me. I'd like to know. 

**Jinxeh** brought up a point in her review. I know there's an age difference between Sirius and Lucius, and I would change my story but honestly, I really don't feel like changing the entire first chapter (I worked so hard on it already) to make it work with what year they all graduated and stuff, so I guess that even though the ages and stuff may be wrong, I'm just going to keep it that way. Sorry if it pisses anybody off…but one more thing, too…When I said that Sirius ran away from home once, I just mean that he decided that he was pissed off and you know, left, like a lot of kids do. He didn't permanently leave, he just tried to…and it didn't work out. His family found him. I just made that part up, it's not in the HP books anywhere. Sorry if I was a bit confusing (lol)

You also asked me if this was AU, and at the time I didn't know what AU was, and so I looked it up on and it said "alternate universe" which sounds kind of odd….but then I looked at the definition of Alternate universe and it said, quote, **"A piece that changes the original settings. An example is a story in which Lily and James Pottter had never died." **Well, I guess it might be because I'm not really sure yet. We don't really know much about Sirius and his childhood and whatever else, but just in case I'll say that **it is most likely Au. **

…And thank you Jinxeh, for the long review. I like how you didn't say "**your story totally sucked**" but sort of told me what I might want to change and also complimented some stuff. You rock. :)

**Poosche:** Thanks for telling me that Vanessa might be turning into a Mary Sue (Jinxeh did too so I guess it's kind of obvious. Grrr.) I'm going to try and fix that!

And to the other reviewers that I didn't list, thank you for your review also. :) It's nice to know what everyone thinks. I got five reviews so far, which is more than I usually get on the first chapter. This makes me happy! Ahahaa I feel weird. Don't mind me.

Oh, and I'm changing the setting and stuff in this chapter a lot…sorry if it's annoying, but yeah.

**-----please don't forget to review!-----**

"**Do you have any idea where the two of them ran off to?" **

Sheila Lavigne stormed angrily through an assortment of long, dimly lit hallways, opening and closing doors shut at an almost inhumane pace, with an even more inhumane sort of fury surging like lightening through her veins, though she hid it well. She could see nothing but empty darkness and the red rage practically glowing in front of her eyes. How _dare_ that girl disobey her like this! She had known that Randy could get her to come to the party without any trouble at all, because he had tactics and knew how to manipulate Vanessa into doing whatever he wanted her to do. But she wouldn't have even bothered with trying to get the worthless lump to socialize with anyone if she'd known what a disaster her simple prescence would cause! After only a few hours she'd managed to spill her drink on Lucius Malfoy, cause a scene, and then storm away with the ever-famous, horrible blood-traitor Sirius Black before she could be properly punished! It was so unheard of! Sheila's family would be the talk of the town for weeks to come, all as a result of the daughter she wished she'd never had!

Sure, she had expected something of the sort---something much, much _milder_, though. Maybe Vanessa talking with the Sirius Black boy and snapping at someone if they got on her nerves, because God knew that girl couldn't shut her mouth or stop the words from flying out of it. But Shiela had assumed--- quite stupidly, she realized now, that Vanessa was over the stage of being a baby and causing a scene just for the sake of doing it. For the fun of embarrassing her family, who had put a roof over her head and fed her for the past fifteen years, even though in no way whatsoever did she deserve it.

It had been such a long time since the family had risked taking Vanessa out to gatherings in America, because no one there would speak with her or do anything but maybe shoot her a dirty look and continue on with their buisness. All the children and teenagers would stay away from Vanessa, and it was an unbelievably awkward topic when her middle daughter was brought up. Shiela would usually wrinkle her nose in disgust and say something to the affect of, "Well, we don't like her much either, but we can't throw her out onto the streets. She _is_ blood, after all." And the eyes would stray to Vanessa if she were near, and the girl would be sipping a drink leisurely or leaning against the wall looking unbelievably bored. That was fine, because they could control her. But when Vanessa started picking fights and getting strange, they had to figure out something to do, which was usually along the lines of apologizing on her behalf, taking the girl home, and punishing her with anything new they cooked up. Which never did any good because her disrespectful behavior never changed. So they began locking her in her room while they were gone and demanding the house elves leave her alone and ignore anything Vanessa said from behind the closed door.

Shiela had tried to give the girl a new chance for a fresh start, but _that_ would never happen again.

Vanessa's uncontrollable temper and blatant disrespect for her parents had gotten her into such trouble, and yet she would not comply with the unspoken but well-known rules that came with being in such a respected pureblood family. She didn't hate muggles, she wasn't snotty, she didn't listen to her older sister and brother, and she…she…it was just everything about her that screamed, _look at me! I'm different, I'm a **rebel**, and I couldn't care less what you think!_ The way she walked around with dignity and poise even through the dirty looks that were shot her way, the way she could spit back something at any comment that was made, the way she would never cry…not that anyone had seen, anyway. They had yet to catch her in the act and ridicule her for it. And the way she could infuriate her mother and father with just one simply put comment…

To put it simply, Sheila was sick of putting up with Vanessa's endless charades. And she was going to deal with them once and for all after the party was over tonight. That girl would no longer have that exasperating grin plastered onto her annoyingly pretty face, or the "you-can't-get-to-me" attitude. She would be broken in, no matter how much it took. They'd done it with her older sister Lana, and they'd do it with Vanessa…just not as easily. But it would be done, nonetheless.

"I should have expected Sirius to do something like this," Walburga Black said loudly, glaring a hole through the next door she opened. She slammed it shut with all the force of her large, overbearing frame, and then scanned the hallways with the look of a hungry cheetah searching for it's prey. "I swear, once I find that boy….."

"I think I hear something, Walburga. Do shut your mouth." Sheila had never much liked Walburga, she was too loud and just downright odd, and her _name_. It sounded like something an ogre would be called…but then again, Walburga did seem to be something of an ogre. Her breath smelled and she had such a manly voice. But Sheila put up with her for the sake of appearences. Not to say that she couldn't put in a hidden snide comment every once in a while. Maybe Walburga was too thick to realize it. It wouldn't be at all unexpected.

"I think we've finally found them," Walburga said in her deep voice, pointing down the corridoor with a thick finger.

Not at all hushed voices were talking openly, and a few seconds later there was a cheerful giggle that Sheila could only assume had come from her daughter. She wanted to strangle the girl. She could be snotty, rude, and _ruin_ the party that Sheila had worked so hard to get an invitation to, and then not care at all? That girl _seriously_ needed to get her priorities straight!

Sheila hurried down the hallway to the last door on the right, but Walburga brusquely shoved in front of her and whipped open the door, almost knocking Sheila's small frame over in the process. She huffed indignantly, and then, finally done with the calm act, shoved past the space between Walburga's meaty arm and the doorway, which was just big enough for her to fit through. Vanessa and Sirius were sitting there, weirdly close to each other, leaning casually against the wall of a small study. When Vanessa looked up and saw Shiela and Walburga, her amber eyes flashed with a million different emotions for a split second. Sheila smiled triumphantly, hoping to confuse her a bit. Vanessa probably didn't even realize that she was doing that; that every time Shiela, Randy, Lana, or her younger sister or her father walked into the room, she let her real emotions show through for even the mere fragment of a second. If she did, it would be something Vanessa would raise hell to prevent.

She almost felt a spec of pity. _Almost_.

"Hello, Vanessa," She said, narrowing her eyes to barely opened slits. "Party time's over."

--------------------------------------

"I'm not apologizing." Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest and sighed mildly, brushing away a stray strand of hair that had fallen over her tired eyes. Tonight had been quite the adventure, and now she wanted nothing more than to go home and fall fast asleep, wrapped in the famaliar warmth of her bed sheets. Of course, there _was_ another important matter to attend to that required her immediate cooperation. Ah, that was just too bad. Such a pity that she wasn't going to give one hundred percent.

"You are _going_ to apologize right this instant, Vanessa, or the punishment will be severe," Her mother snapped, at her wits end. "And you had better do it quickly. The Malfoy's are very busy people. They have more important matters to attend to, other than listening to a silly girl disrespecting her elders."

Vanessa looked slightly amused, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "If you're an elder, mother, then why do you get pissy whenever you're called old?"

"That is not true, nor is it the point," Sheila said, seemingly irritated beyond belief. She shot an apologetic glance at Lauren, Lucius' mother. "I am telling you to apologize. You are going to do it because you don't have a choice in the matter."

Vanessa twirled a piece of red hair around her finger. "No. I still stand my ground. He tried to attack me and I defended myself. _I _didn't do a single thing wrong."

"See? What a filthy liar," Lucius Malfoy chimed in, trademark sneer in place. He seemed to feel the need to interrupt. "She can't even apologize when she does something wrong. She has to lie about it. This goes against every pitiful principle that she stands for. She doesn't associate with us because she thinks we're too dark and evil and scary," His eyes flashed malice at Vanessa as he stepped closer. _Oh, intimidating, _She thoguht sarcastically. _So intimidating, even though last time you tried to intimidate me I spilled my drink all over you. What an idiot. _She merely quirked an eyebrow, looking bored, while he continued. "And if she's all for peace and happiness and equality for all witches and wizards, and even mudbloods like the ones from that old school of hers…" _Too far. _Vanessa clenched her teeth and, involentarily, her hands tightened up into fists. Talk about mood swings. They could talk about her all they wanted. Insult her, slap her, laugh at her. Be mean beyond what anyone thought possible. That hurt, though she could handle it. She could act like that stuff didn't matter to her, even though it did. But when someone started going on about her friends, the only people in her entire life that had changed her point of view almost entirely upon her first year at **Salem's**, it was over. She had such a bad temper, it could go off at any time she let it out…and Vanessa was very, _very_ protective of her friends. There were many times that her temper and people like Lucius Malfoy had not been very friendly with each other. She gritted her teeth together even harder even though it hurt, a strange habit she had to keep herself from talking at the wrong times. And now was probably one of them. Lucius saw this, and, sensing that he'd struck a nerve, continued on the subject intstead of going on to other things like he'd probably meant to. "What could have gotten into you, that you'd stoop as low as to associate with mudbloods? Call them your _friends_?"

"Shut. Up." Vanessa's voice was quiet and deadly controlled. "Just shut your freakishly huge mouth."

"Do not speak to him that-"

"It's okay, Mrs. Lavigne," Lucius said politely to Sheila, nodding in comprehension to her words. "I can handle this." He stared right into Vanessa's eyes, and she stared right back into his cold, ice blue ones, rage blaring at it's full extent. "I think she's afraid of the truth. I think she's afraid of knowing that she's got nothing but herself to keep her company. Now that she's gone from that other school of hers, she'll be forgotten, because she was probably never really remembered to begin with. _My_ guess is that they were only friends with her for her huge ammount of money, and social status in the pureblood world that they'll never fit into. Your so called friends are stupid, lowlife, wannabe---"

He never got to finish his sentence. The only thought running through Vanessa's mind at the moment in which she landed her balled up fist into his pointy face was, _Why the heck did I wait so long? _

And in that moment it became a blur of unbelievable confusion and chaos. Lucius staggered back, holding his bleeding nose in his hands, trickles of blood seeping through his fingers. If it were anyone but him, Vanessa would have felt pity kick her right in the stomach. But it was that idiotic boy and she couldn't be any happier that he finally got what he'd deserved for such a long time. Vanessa could hear a loud, short cheer from behind her that was suddenly cut off. She'd have wanted to turn around to give Sirius --who was probably dragged out the door by his oaf of a mother-- a triumphant grin, but Vanessa was too angry and besides, her mother had yanked her arm and pulled her back in restraint, preventing any further attacks that would have never came. Vanessa may have been mad, but she wasn't an animal. She wouldn't get someone while they were down. It wasn't fair.

Well…..with him it was sort of debatable as to weather or not being fair would actually _matter_…..

"You LITTLE BRATT!" Lauren screamed, tending to Lucius as he roughly pushed her away, trying to get his wand out of a pocket in his robes. "Here, let me get it, darling," Lauren Malfoy said to Lucius. She brandished her wand and waved it, muttering '_reparo'_ under her breath. Lucius stepped back and glared at Vanessa and she couldn't help but laugh. He just looked so pathetic, trying to be all big and scary, while it was obvious he was stunned and completely wierded out at the same time. A girl had probably never even laid a finger on him before, much less made his nose bleed.

"We're going. Don't worry, Lauren, my daughter will be severely punished. I will pay for the damage to Lucius' robes and whatever else you may want to repay you for this." She tightened her grip on Vanessa's arm once again, and half dragged, half whipped her out of the door. Vanessa called in cheerfully right before the door shut behind her, "Have fun washing your face _and_ your robes, Malfoy!"

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Well. Thank **God** that's finally done! I've been waiting for such a long time to finish this, and I probably would've added more details and basically more onto the story overall, except for the fact that I have a SERIOUS case of writer's block that makes me want to throw expensive things at the wall and rip my hair out of my head strand by strand….O.o sorry. That's probably too much information lol, but _anyway_, it may be a while before I update, due to the stupid writer's block. I'm going crazy…but reviews, hint hint give me inspiration. I like long reviews too. hint hint again But at least you got this much out of me, even if it's not up to standard in my opinion. Sorry about that too. But I'm really trying.


	3. Chapter 3

"**Vanessa." **

She turned around with an audible sigh to see Lana Lavigne, her older sister, standing poised in her doorway with an arm leaning lightly against the outside wall. Vanessa simply rolled her eyes and went back to the large mirror which hung above her dresser, where she continued applying what was left to do of her makeup. "Did you come to tell me that my makeup is too dark?" She asked boredly, not bothering to catch a glimpse of her sister's reflection while she talked. "Or that my clothes are hideous? Or maybe that you wish I'd just fell over and _died_ at that party, instead of making the entire family look bad?" She put down her wand, which she had magicked to turn into a tube of mascara, and looked at Lana uninterestedly. At least simple spells were still allowed to be used outside of school. Like makeup ones. No complex ones were allowed, which really sucked, but she'd get over it. School started soon anyway. "Well, let me save you the trouble. Whatever you say, I _really_ don't care. Your opinion doesn't matter to me in the least. So save your breath."

Lana rolled her eyes and strode into the room uninvited and unwanted, after closing the door quietly. The eighteen-year-old sat down on Vanessa's bed and then looked at her younger sister, her emerald eyes, which were eerily like Vanessa's, (Which was very strange because the two of them were the only ones with green eyes whereas the rest of the family had ice blue ones), showed no real emotion besides a blank look that was neither cold nor inviting. "I just have one thing to tell you, Vanessa," She began, her voice composed, though her body posture was strangely rigid. "And if you ever tell anyone about this, I'll deny it. If anyone ever asks, this never happened. It'll be like this moment in time never existed, because as far as anyone is concerned, it never did."

Vanessa was intrigued, though she didn't show it. This was just too bizarre. Lana never uttered a single word to her. And even though she'd never admit it even under threat of torture, Vanessa immensely missed the days when she and Lana would talk and giggle together like sisters do, back when they were little and innocent. They had practically been best friends, until their parents had started working on Lana, making her into the heartless, cruel daughter they would eventually be so proud of. Lana had taken a few hexes and slaps and such during the time that she'd resisted, and every time Vanessa would wait until the early hours of the morning, when her parents would go to bed.

Throughout the entire night she could always hear Lana crying pitifully from her room across the hall. Vanessa had known, of course, that no matter how much she wanted to run in to comfort her sister, if her parents caught her they'd just say what a bad girl Lana was and how she deserved what she got. And the problem with that was the fact that Vanessa had been so ceaselessly protective over Lana. She had ended up in trouble so many times, having gotten caught, that she deemed it worth it to stay up for however long her body would let her, to wait until the house was creepily silent so she could sneak into Lana's room and try to comfort her older sister. On the days she fell asleep early, Lana would come into her little sister's room seeking condolence.

But those days had ended abruptly the day that Lana turned ten. A very old ten. Vanessa could still remember with heartbreaking detail… the horribly long ordeal she'd gone through with trying to bring back the happy-go-lucky, smiling, caring Lana she was so used to. Of course this had never yielded any results, but only being seven years old brought you innocence and ignorance, which many say is a bliss.

For Vanessa it was a curse. She never understood anything at that age. In fact, she still didn't get most of what her family put their own children and others through. It was sick, twisted, wrong, and something she would never in her lifetime agree with or accept.

Vanessa gazed intently at Lana. "Do tell," She said.

Lana looked straight into Vanessa's eyes, and for a moment it was as if she'd gone back in time. It was odd. The old Lana was trying to break through for only a second to whisper something forbidden. She could just tell. Call it intuition, call it a guess, but somehow Vanessa knew.

"I'm proud of you, Ness. You're stronger than I ever was, or ever will be. I know you probably think mom or dad put me up to this, to gain your trust and shove it back in your face or whatever else, but they didn't. I'm not Gwen. I don't do that. This is me, being myself, and being completely honest for the first time since I can remember." She smiled bitterly and looked down at the floor. She then laughed bitterly, too. "I wish I could say that things can go back to the way they used to be. When we were little. But I'm not going to lie to you. They won't. I'm going to turn out to be almost exactly like mom on the outside, and like you on the inside. I'll be waiting to break free, but I never will. I'll marry some stupid pureblood prick who will turn out to be a Death Eater, and I'll have to put my kids through hell so they don't have to deal with all the crap you do. Maybe I'll get lucky end up with a kid like you." She sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to tell you is to not give up. It's too late for me, Nessa, but it's not too late for you. So keep on going with this "rebel" stuff. It rocks."

Vanessa was taken back completely. Allright, at first she had been suspicious that this was a joke. Very suspicious, because her family had done so much to her that it'd left her with the inability to trust easily. But now she knew that this was a pivotal moment in the history of her life. Lana was twisting an expensive ring around her finger, fidgeting. Lana always fidgeted when she was nervous or even slightly uncomfortable. And her eyes weren't cold. She _never_ let her guard down unless she meant her words.

Vanessa told her sister something she thought Lana really needed to hear. "That's bull and you know it, Lana. You've got the guts to do whatever the hell you want and there's not a single thing they can do about it. Look at me, I'm-"

"You're the rebel of the family, Vanessa. And you'll be the only one. I didn't come here to be persuaded into something I can't do. I came here to tell you that you're cut out to stand out, to be different. You're made to be the "rebel." And I just wanted you to know that every cruel thing I've ever said to you, every brutal thing I'll ever do…I don't want to do it. I hate being like this, and it's not me."

"Then do something about it. Don't be a mindless coward," Vanessa hissed, stepping closer. "If I can do this, you can too. This is the idiocy I'm so completely sick of dealing with in this family. Don't just sit around uselessly and think about what you want, go out and fight for it!"

Lana stood up, her eyes cold once more. She said emotionlessly, "I can't, and I just thought this is something you might want to know before you go off to Hogwarts for the rest of the year. I know you think I'm a coward, I know you'll hate my guts for the rest of your life for all the stuff I'll be forced to do. But despite all that, in the long run, you have someone rooting for you. You always have."

If this was someone else's heart-to-heart, Vanessa would've found that line hilariously corny. Very predictable. She hated mushy, corny moments, unless they were unavoidable and very, very meaningful. But right now it meant the world to her to have her sister, her best friend, and her closest confident back for even a single moment.

Vanessa sighed and turned around. She felt like she was about to cry. Of course she wouldn't, because Vanessa had the ability to stop tears at almost every point that they came on, but still. She almost never cried. Not in front of anyone. But this was just so strange and weird and upsetting all at the same time. Maybe she was overly emotional because she was PMSing…. Maybe she was….no. No. As much as she hated to admit it, Vanessa was still human and Lana could still get to her the way no one else could. And right now she hated her more than ever.

"I wish you wouldn't be so mindless and listen to whatever mom, dad, and Voldemort tell you. It's just so PATHETIC!" She yelled, her fiery temper finally breaking loose. She turned around and ensnarled her fingers into her long, curly hair in frustration. "Get out of my room, Lana! I'm glad you think I'm cut out for the role that I'm currently playing; for being the person that I'll always be, but you make me so sick! I'll be able to live with myself for the rest of my life, because I'm living _for_ myself and for my _values and opinions! Not the ones someone else shoves in my head! _But you, you'll have to live with knowing that you are someone completely different than who everyone else thinks you are. You turned your back on me, and everything you know is right.' She clenched her teeth and said in a deadly controlled voice, "Get away from me before I puke."

Lana looked at Vanessa, eyes gleaming. "Don't stop with those wicked punches," She said as a last thought. Vanessa knew what she was referring to. ThenLana left the room, calmly closing the door shut behind her.

Vanesa stared at her reflection in the mirror and hated what she saw.

Lana had just come out and actually _talked to her._ Even though she was forbidden to do so. It was like they were normal sisters with a normal life…having a normal conversation…almost. And she just had to start with the drama and try to talk her into something that was nearly impossible. Of course, Vanessa had always been a strong believer in going for what you believe in, and not caring what other people think, because eight out of ten people that you see on the street are most likely condescending pricks. Jerks who think they're better than everyone else.

But she also had the empathy to put herself in other's shoes, and Vanessa knew that not everyone had the guts to go against everything they're taught to do from a very young age. God knew that she understood how hard, nerve-wracking, and stressful it was trying to be her own person in a little private world of mindless drones.

She hated that.

Vanessa stormed over to her bed and threw herself onto it. She stared blankly at the ceiling, emerald eyes revealing nothing but what she wanted them to. Which was nothing. Absolutely nothing at all.

------------------

"I hope you get lost at this new school, Vanessa."

Eight-year-old Gwen flicked back her dirty blonde hair, which was just below shoulder length and currently very straight, behind her petite shoulders. "Maybe then you'll get lost and never have to come home. I can get your bedroom, and it's not like anybody would miss you."

"Yes, that _would_ be something to look forward to," Vanessa said pleasantly, as she grabbed her wand and levitated her huge school trunk with a casual flick of her wrist. "If that happens, by any chance, you can have my room. Maybe you can charm a sign on the door that says, "This room belongs to Gwen, the idiotic, narcissistic, dim-witted girl who can't do anything but what her mommy tells her to do". That would go really nice with all the decorations you've already got. It would match your personality perfectly."

"You're just jealous of me," Gwen said, in a would-be superior voice, if it had had any affect on Vanessa whatsoever. Which it didn't. They had been through this so many times she could practically recite Gwen's every word. "Because mother and father like me better than they're ever liked you. You just do all this stuff for attention. Being a rebel is your cover."

Vanessa rolled her eyes at Gwen's single-mindedness. That girl was only eight, and she was already spitting out comebacks like a fourteen-year-old. "Oh, wow. You said it all. You've caught me. Now go along and be a good girl and kill a muggle like Voldemort tells you to."

"Muggle's are worthless," Gwen spat out with disgust, stepping back and glancing around with paranoia as if there was a muggle in the vicinity of their magically protected house. "They don't deserve to live."

"You don't deserve to talk about people like that. Muggles have just as much right to live as you do, you're just too stupid and single-minded to realize it," Vanessa said. "Now get out of my way before I stupify you and lock you in that broom closet on the fourth floor. The _empty_ one that no one ever goes into."

"I could scream, and you'd get into trouble," Gwen shot back, putting her hands on her hips.

Vanessa walked toward the door and with trunk floating behind her. "First of all, have you ever heard of a silencing charm? And second of all, do you really think I care?"

"No," Gwen said, eyeing Vanessa with disinterest. "I don't suppose you do. But I'll save you the trouble. The sight of your face makes me want to barf."

How completely childish.

"Likewise," Vanessa told her sister. "And I'll see you again whenever hell freezes over, if I'm lucky."

"Twice," Gwen added with a nod. "Have a horrible time."

"I will, thank you," Vanessa replied dryly.

She hopped down the stairs, trunk ahead of her, and smiled, despite herself. She was going to be away from this house for an entire year. The time had passed in a ridiculously slow pattern of boringness and selfishness and periodic punishments for her insolence, but it was finally over. Vanessa couldn't have asked for anything more refreshing. She was losing brain cells just being near her family and the people they were associated with. Maybe now she could get them back.


End file.
